


In the Zone

by Lady_Zephyr



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Arcade, Awkward Flirting, Games, M/M, Milkshakes, if you can call it that, new best friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-11 04:46:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15965003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Zephyr/pseuds/Lady_Zephyr
Summary: When Noctis approaches the cute blonde at the arcade he gets sucked into playing a game he doesn't really care for. But Prompto is just so excited that Noctis can't tell him no.Wait... Prompto does know who he is... right?





	In the Zone

**Author's Note:**

> I went to Colossalcon Prime a few months ago and kiiiind of ended up in a similar position as Prompto. I don't know why I was thinking about it, but I was, and wa-lah! From there a story was written.
> 
> Also they share a malt. Because we were talking about it on the ffxv amino.

_Ding-dong, ding-dong…_

Finally. _Finally._

Prompto reaches down and scoops up his bag, rushing to be the first one out the door. It’s Tuesday. Tuesday is his day off which means he has the whole evening to do whatever he wants. No rude, lousy customers telling him he got their orders wrong. No running to catch the last bus when his shift ran over. No worrying about the other servers taking his already measly tips. Tuesday meant freedom, and today he was going to spend it at the arcade.

With his headphones on, the walk passes quickly. The building is only a few blocks from the high school and Prompto is itching to get his hands on the game cabinets. Reaching the front door, he pulls out his wallet and hands a few bills over to the woman just inside. She hands him a paper wristband indicating his play-all-day status and politely smiles.

“Welcome back! Have fun and if you have any problems, just let us know!”

“Thanks, I will!” Prompto smiles and waves, immediately heading toward the back of the building. As he heads deeper into the arcade the noise grows in volume. It's still a bit early, most students head out to club activities directly after class, but for Prompto it’s the perfect time. There’s no need to stand in line and wait for a machine when practically every game is unoccupied.

He sees his target before he hears it, the large cube hanging over the display glowing blue before fading to red and yellow. He walks to the back corner, sets his bag down, and runs his hands over the cool plastic buttons that make up the game pad. The machine jumps to life, the cube turning a solid blue as a musical voice welcomes him to the game. From his pocket, Prompto pulls a white plastic card. A new melody plays when he taps the card against one of the buttons, the RF reader loading the stored data. He slides the card back into his pocket before giving the screen his undivided attention.

“Today. I’m gonna do it today.” He whispers to himself. 

He operates the menu quickly while the timer on the bottom left counting down steadily. He picks a song, level 8 (just to warm up), and waits for the machine to begin. An imaginary crowd cheers at the selection and the words FIRST TUNE appear on the screen. Prompto is ready. He’s never been more ready in his life. His fingers hover over the buttons, first note sign indicating where the song will begin.

His fingers move quickly as the music starts up, lightly tapping note after note as they appear on the screen. The tempo is quick and upbeat, the song heavy with base. He knows the notes well, knows when the pattern will change, when the tempo will speed up or slow. After the flashing notes come to an end a cheery, yellow A appears on screen- NEW RECORD flashing underneath. The imaginary crowd cheers loudly as the cube on top of the machine pulses steadily blue. Prompto smiles. This is a good sign and his confidence soars through the roof.

Back in the menu, Prompto turns the difficulty selector up to 9. He picks a song he’s played a few times before, enough to know the beat and where the notes will appear. They flash more quickly than the last, appearing two or three at a time, but Prompto finds himself keeping pace and striking each note with ease. He fumbles a few times, not enough to throw him off, but enough to notice and at the end of the song a bright orange B appears on the screen. It’s not bad, not at all. He would have to get a near perfect score to get an A at this level, so he lets that big orange letter carry him to his last round.

He goes into the menu again, confidently pressing the button that reads LEVEL 10 in bright red letters. He knows it’s a warning, but today he’s on a roll. Today’s the day. He scrolls slowly listening to the short music clips before finally settling on a song. It has a strong, noticeable beat and is composed by an artist he recognizes. Prompto nods before pressing the select button. FINAL TUNE appears on the screen and he’s ready with his fingers hovering over the first note keys. 

It starts off slow, catchy, and Prompto nails the notes with ease. He smiles a moment before the beat drops, and the song really begins. Note after speedy note appear on the screen, the pattern foreign and strange. He reaches for the keys, pressing the square buttons with a little more force than he intends to. Perfect, miss, slow, miss, miss, miss, great- he recognizes the colors of the notes as he quickly tries to recover. There’s still time, the song’s not over yet. He squints, losing track of the swirling colors. It’s no use. He keeps up to the best of his ability but as the song ends the sound of a slamming door is heard and the machine lights up an angry red. FAILED appears across the screen the letter D floating on the lower right. 

“Thank you for playing!” The machine calls happily, its peppy jingle notifying him of the end of the game.

Prompto exhales sadly, “Yeah, thanks I guess.” He knows the machine can’t hear him, but he says it anyway. He was so hyped, so ready to finally best level 10. He leans over the machine, both hands holding the outside edge. With a heavy breath he presses the start button again, listening to the catchy tune that announces the start of the game. He’s so preoccupied that he almost misses the footsteps that approach on his right. 

“Wow, you’re pretty good.” A male voice calls over his shoulder.

Prompto jumps at the sound, turning quickly to face the voice. “Oh, uh, thanks. I play this game a lot. Rhythm games just click, ya know?”

“Not really,” The boy says nonchalantly, “I mostly play the shooting games. I’m not all that great at the rhythm stuff. But I was kind of watching you play. You’re amazing.”

Prompto looks the boy up and down finally noticing his dark hair and similar clothing. “Hey, I thought you looked familiar, we go to the same school. I’m Prompto.” He sticks his hand out to shake. The other boy eyes his hand suspiciously before grabbing it with his own. He shakes slowly taking in Prompto’s kind smile.

“Noctis.” He says quietly, almost as if he doesn’t really want to give out his name. For a moment, Prompto thinks it sounds familiar, but he can’t place where he’s heard it before. 

“All right then, Noctis. Wanna play? This is totally the easiest rhythm game out there, I just happen to play on a really hard level.” He steps out of the way grabbing Noctis’ arm and pulling him in front of the machine. “All you have to do is press the buttons when they light up! Easy, right?”

“O-okay then.” Noctis says slowly. He looks at the machine like he has no idea what to do with it. This wasn’t in the plan. He just wanted to walk over, maybe invite the blonde out for a burger or something, not play this game.

“Oh, right! You press on the button to hear a clip from that song and when you find one you like, you press the start button on the bottom right. And then it’ll, uh, start.” Prompto smiles warmly at Noctis. He didn’t really want to play this game, he was only over here because he thought the blonde looked so sad. 

Noctis looks down and presses a button. A joyful tune picks up just as the screen goes dark. FIRST TUNE appears at the top as the music loads.

“Wait, what? I didn’t want this song.” He looks back at Prompto who only shrugs. 

“Sorry, guess the timer ran out. Don’t worry though! It’s a really cute song! Just do your best!” There’s that smile again. It’s bright, just like his blonde hair. Noctis is wondering if it’s his natural color when the song begins. His attention is drawn back to the square buttons. He presses on the keys using only his pointer fingers, and Prompto giggles. He looks like an elderly person trying to type on a keyboard. 

A high pitched woman sings and he blushes at the way Prompto is smiling and humming along. Suddenly two notes appear on the screen and Noctis pounds on the keys in a quick dash to hit them. He pulls back slightly missing a few of the slow moving notes afterward. Prompto doesn’t say anything, but Noctis can see his fingers twitching at his sides as he follows along with the beat. As the song ends, the cube lights up blue and a blue C appears on the screen the word CLEAR flashing across the top.

“Wow, that was great for your first time!” Prompto plants a hand on Noctis’ shoulder, the other pointing at the letter grade on the screen.

“I think that was enough for me.” Noctis raises a hand, the long fingers carding through his raven locks.

“No way! The game’s not over yet! You get three songs per game, ya know.”

“You do? Okay then, how about you help me find a good song?” 

“Really? Hell yeah! What kind of music do you like?” Prompto moves in close, their shoulders pushing together as he quickly flips through songs. He’s close. Way too close. Noctis can feel the heat rising in his cheeks, he finally mustered up the courage to talk to Prompto and the blonde was being way too friendly. Almost like he doesn’t realize what’s going on.

“I guess I like pop music.” Noctis admits. “That last song wasn’t actually too bad. It might have been a little on the easy side though.”

“Really? You like the anime opening type of songs? Great choice! Lots of guys wouldn’t admit that.” He presses a few buttons, songs scrolling by too quickly for Noctis to see before it stops on a song. A familiar tune starts playing, the beat slow and hypnotic.  
“How about this then? She’s a really popular artist and I thought you might recognize the song.”

Noctis blinks in surprise as the music filling his ears. He goes to press the start button, but Prompto pushes his hand out of the way before opening the menu and adjusting the settings. “Sorry about that, almost forgot to increase the difficulty for you. Oh and try to use more than just your pointer fingers. Use your thumbs. It’ll help you hit those double notes.” He makes a pinching motion with his hands, chuckles and moves out of the way, giving Noctis a thumbs-up before letting him have control of the console.

He finds it’s easier to hit the notes when the song is familiar and even cracks a smile as Prompto sings along with the song. The way he smiles is adorable, bobbing back and forth with the beat, fingers still twitching away and miming the notes on the screen. Noctis realizes he’s hitting the wrong buttons because he’s too busy staring at Prompto out of the corner of his eye. He doesn’t notice though, too into the game to see the way Noctis is watching him. When the last note disappears, the crowd cheers and the screen once again says CLEAR.

“That’s a pretty good score!” Prompto smiles wide and looks at Noctis, he’s pointing at the light blue C on the screen. “And that was a level 6 song. I thought you said you weren’t good at rhythm games.”

“I’m really not.” Noctis replies. Prompto’s smile is proving to be dangerously contagious as his lips part in a smile of his own. “I get one more song right? What kind of music do you like?”

“Something with a good beat.” Prompto’s response is immediate. “Like EDM or techno. That kinda stuff. Oh! Here I’ll show you my favorite song!” He flips through the screens again quickly landing on a song with a light blue background. “Try this one, it’s crazy catchy. I know you’ll love it.”

Noctis can’t handle the way Prompto is acting. He’s so excited, like a lonely kid who finally found a friend on the playground. He wonders if Prompto even knows why he came over. The song starts and Noctis immediately notices it’s harder than the last two songs. He really has to focus on hitting the notes. The song ends and Prompto rushes back over to see his score. 

“Great job, you cleared all of them!”

“Uh, yeah. I guess. Not nearly as good as you though.” Something seems off about his responses, a fact Prompto doesn’t miss. It’s almost like Noctis is holding back. He can’t place his finger on it so Prompto decides to take the safe route and bow out early.

“S-sorry if I kinda forced you to play. I get really excited about this game and I kinda forget not everyone wants to try it. So uh, yeah. It was nice meeting you Noctis. Maybe we can play again sometime.” He feels bad, he should have known better than to pressure Noctis into playing the game. Especially when he said he wasn’t interested in rhythm games in the first place.

Picking up his bag, Prompto turns to leave. There’s plenty of other games to try. He’ll leave Noctis alone so he can play something he likes.

“Wait!” Noctis grabs at Prompto’s arm, catching the sleeve of his school jacket. Prompto stops halfway through the step, looking back at Noctis with hope in his eyes. “I was actually hoping you could show me some other games. I don’t get to come here often so I don’t know how to play a lot of them…”

He lets go, light blush returning to his cheeks. This was a dumb idea. He’s waiting for the blonde to refuse and walk away when a warm hand grabs his own. 

“Really? If you wanted to play games, you should have just said so!” They’re off quickly, Prompto pulling Noctis from cabinet to cabinet, explaining the controls and lingering for a few rounds if the game is particularly exciting. As the building gets more crowded they move away from rhythm games and on to fighting games where the rounds are quicker and they can try out more cabinets. The two are about evenly matched with wins when Prompto suggests they move on to some shooting games. He remembers too late that Noctis said he spends his time playing shooters, the evidence clear as day when at the end of the round Noctis emerges with an incredibly high score. 

Heading to the only unoccupied game, Prompto pulls up the accompanying chair and leans one knee on the seat as he bends over the rifle.

“A sniper game? I didn’t know they made games like this.” Noctis stands off to the side watching Prompto get comfortable over the controls. A reticle appears on screen and Prompto moves the gun to fire at his choice of play style.

“Yeah. It’s one of my favorite games. Really hard though. You have to look through the scope and shoot the enemies. It gets really challenging. I don’t think I’ve ever actually beat it before.” 

A woman starts shouting at them from the screen, her voice distorted as if coming from a walkie talkie. Prompto leans into the gun, taking down the first few bad guys with ease. Round two begins from the back of a moving vehicle. Noctis is barely paying attention to the screen. He’s too busy watching Prompto, the way he lines up every shot, holding his breath just before he pulls the trigger. He breathes out moving away from the gun as the round ends.

“I really thought they were gonna get me there.” He chuckles as he looks to Noctis.

“Oh yeah, me too I guess. Why do you use the scope though? You can see the reticle on the screen. Wouldn’t that make it easier to shoot the terrorists?”

“You can’t do that! It’s not how the game is supposed to be played. You gotta use the scope on the gun. Like a real gun, ya know?” Prompto goes quiet as the third round starts, an overwhelming amount of enemies appearing on the screen. Gunshots echo in the small space and Prompto misses just as many of the moving targets as he hits. The enemies eventually overpower him and the game ends with a terrified scream.

“Damn. I can never get past that part.” Prompto sighs and moves out of the way, surprised when Noctis takes his place.

“I think I can beat this.” 

“On your first try? Good luck. I will be seriously impressed.”

Noctis moves the gun around to get a feel for the controls, he stands a bit off to the side, leaning too far forward. Prompto is about to say something when the game starts and Noctis swiftly takes out the first two enemies. 

“Whoa! How did you do that so fast?” He turns and gasps when he sees Noctis leaning too far forward, completely ignoring the scope and staring directly at the screen. “Dude! That’s totally cheating!”

“It’s not cheating, It’s just playing a different way.” He pulls the trigger, enemy after enemy falling on screen. Prompto can’t believe it. Suddenly Noctis is past the point where Prompto died. He squints at the screen, movements a little slower, but still swiftly taking down the terrorist threat. One mission after another completed. Finally they’re on the last round, the woman screams into the comm, but Noctis ignores her and focuses only on the screen. Black helicopters swarm the stage, pausing only for a moment before opening fire on Noctis. The screen goes red and with a sickening yell the game is over. 

“What the hell! They can’t just spring helicopters on you like that!”

“Uh, the commander lady told you they were coming.” Prompto shrugs. “Should have paid more attention to what they were yelling over the comm. Still, that was incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone score this good before.” He waits for Noctis to let the gun fall into its resting position before moving to let the next person in line play.

“I told you I was good at shooting games. My trainer says they help with hand-eye coordination. I think he uses it as an excuse to let me play games though.”

“Well he’s not entirely wrong. Although it doesn’t really compare to the real thing.” Prompto trips, his heart beat spiking through the roof. He hadn’t meant for that to come out. He messed up. His new friend is going to think he’s some crazy weirdo who likes to shoot guns all of the time. It’s too late to take it back so he spins around and points toward the exit. “Hey! This place is getting kinda crowded and it’s getting kind of late, so…uh.”

“Whoa, Prompto calm down.” Prompto’s looking down at the floor, torn between making a break for the door and curling up into a ball and dying when Noctis puts a firm hand on his shoulder. “I’m having a really good time actually… wanna… I don’t know, grab a bite to eat with me? I hear there’s a pretty good diner right around the corner.”

There, he did it. He asked the blonde out like he had originally planned to. 

Prompto visibly deflates, the stress seeming to just flow from his shoulders. “Really?” He asks timidly. “I don’t want to, like interrupt your evening or anything.”

“Dude, I asked you, remember? C’mon, my treat for showing me how to play all these games.” He wraps his arm around Prompto’s shoulders, gently guiding him in the direction of the door. Prompto allows himself to be steered toward the door, relaxing as he sees Noctis smile at him. As they near the exit, Noctis’ arm falls away and for a moment, Prompto finds himself wishing it could have stayed. He shakes his head and pushes the thought away. What a weird thing to think about a guy you only just met.

The diner is just around the corner as Noctis had said. He seems relieved when they enter the restaurant. Having only heard about the place from some classmates, he wasn't sure it was actually existed, but here it is- complete with a smiling hostess ready to lead them to an empty table. After they are seated Noctis pulls out his phone, frowns at the screen, and then swiftly shoves it back into his pocket.

“Everything okay?” Prompto asks, his eyes peeking over the top of the menu.

“Oh, yeah. Don’t worry about it.” He looks down and unfolds his own. Ten missed calls and eighteen text messages. He knows exactly who they’re from, but he can’t bring himself to answer them just yet. Not while he feels free for the first time in forever. The waitress returns with a polite smile, writing down the boys orders before turning and making her way toward the kitchen.

“I can’t believe I’ve never actually talked to you before.” Prompto says as he watches the waitress walk away. “Like, how? You’re such a cool guy.” 

“Uh, thanks.” Noct mumbles. Now what? He didn’t think he would get this far and doesn’t really know what to say to the guy sitting in front of him. Make small talk. Ask about more games, about classes, try to be relatable. The thoughts float through his mind and he finds himself slipping into easy conversation with his new friend.

The food arrives sooner than anticipated, and as it is placed in front of the boys, Prompto digs in. The greasy burger and crispy fries are exactly what he needed. It’s not like he’s starving, but he tries not to eat too much unhealthy food if he can help it. He’s savoring a particularly cheesy bite of burger when he notices the extra item between himself and Noctis.

“A milkshake? Man, I didn’t look close enough at the menu. I would have ordered one too.” Prompto pouts.

“It’s not a milkshake. It’s a malt.” Noct says between bites of french fries.

“What? What the heck is a malt?”

“It’s like a milkshake… but different. More creamy. It just tastes better.” Noct sucks some of the liquid through the straw as if to prove a point, before pushing the glass toward Prompto. “Here. Taste for yourself.”

Prompto removes the straw from his cup and sticks it into the creamy drink. Noctis is watching him as he takes a sip. Shrugging his shoulders, Prompto goes back to his burger. “I dunno. Kinda just tastes like a milkshake to me. A really good one though. Wonder if the server will come back so I can order one…”

Noctis laughs, picking up another fry. “Or we can just share this one.”

Prompto smiles before turning beet red. He’s sharing a milkshake… malt… whatever with the really cute boy he just met in the arcade. Somebody pinch him because he must be dreaming. This kind of stuff only happens in the movies, right?

“T-thanks. That’s r-really nice of you.” He manages to stutter.

They spend the next few minutes sitting awkwardly, taking bites of their meals. Prompto gets his courage up first, breaking the silence with a question. “So, uh, I don’t’ think I’ve seen you around the arcade before. First time?”

“Yeah, I guess. I don’t get out much. Mostly I’m only allowed to leave for school or work.”

“Really? That sucks. Makes you sound kind of like a prisoner.”

Noctis opens his mouth to speak when a large shadow falls across the table. Both boys look up at the same time, at the hulking man leering at Noctis. He crosses his arms, flowing tattoos making him look sinister and imposing.

“What the hell, Noct. Do you know how long Ignis and I have been looking for you?” The man’s gruff voice makes Prompto flinch, his furious tone makes it sound like his rage is barely being contained. The man is positively fuming and Prompto thinks he looks like a volcano about to blow. “Where the hell have you been?”

“Get off my back, Gladio. I was just at the arcade. It’s not even four blocks from the school.” 

“Just at the arcade? Where the hell is your phone? Noct, you know you have to check in with us before you just go somewhere. You’re lucky we convinced your father that the crownsguard could find you. He was ready to send the Glaive on a manhunt.”

Hearing the name of the king's personal guard makes everything click and Prompto’s brain shifts into overdrive. He knew he recognized the other boy’s name. Noctis isn’t a prisoner. He’s a prince. _The Prince of Lucis_ to be exact. And Prompto just spent the whole evening kicking his butt at arcade games. Was that legal? He wouldn’t get in trouble for beating the prince would he? And, oh astrals, he was _sharing_ a malt with the _Prince of Insomnia._

The squeak that slips from Prompto’s throat catches both men off guard. They look at his pale face, shoulders shaking as he flounders for words. “I… you… I didn’t know.” He ends up whispering. “I kept you from going home… am I in trouble?” His hands are shaking as he reaches for the glass of water, carefully bringing it to his lips so he doesn’t spill it everywhere.

“What? No, Prompto you’re fine. This – “ Noctis pauses looking from Prompto to Gladio and back to the terrified blonde. “This is my fault. I was… really stupid. Gladio, can you just give us a few minutes? I’ll be right out. Just, you know, let me say bye.”

“Fine. You got ten minutes. After that I’m coming back in and dragging you out. Ten minutes, Noctis. I’m not joking.” He turns with a huff, muttering an apology as he almost knocks over the waitress. Noctis waits until he sees the door to the diner close before turning his attention back to Prompto.

“Are you okay? Sorry about Gladio. He sounds mean, but it’s just because he cares.” Noctis reaches for the the malt, taking a large gulp before pushing it back toward Prompto.

“You should have told me you were the prince.” Prompto mumbles. He’s looking at his half eaten burger, still shaking slightly from the encounter. “I would have – “ He pauses as the waitress Gladio almost ran into places the check face down on the table and quickly walks away. 

“You would have what? Run away? Let me win? That’s what always happens when people find out I’m the prince. I just want to be treated like a normal guy.” Noct shakes his head and pulls out his wallet. "That's why I didnt say anything when you asked what my name was." He looks at the check and throws a few bills on the table as he stands, ready to leave the building.

“Wait!” Prompto looks up. “You’re right. If I had known who you were, I probably would have treated you differently.” Noctis rolls his eyes, already taking a step away from the table.

“But I didn’t!” Prompto quickly adds. “It doesn’t mean anything to me that you’re actually the prince. I didn’t meet the prince today. I only met Noctis. A-and… and I kind of want to hang out with you again sometime.” He subconsciously plays with his wristband, a slight blush rising on his freckled cheeks. 

Noctis retakes his seat. He looks at Prompto and finds the other boy can’t meet his eyes. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you. I kind of ran away after school and didn’t tell anyone where I went. It was really stupid and I probably won’t be allowed out of the Citadel for a while… but… maybe we can text each other?” The prince pulls his cell phone out, waiting for a response from Prompto.

“Yeah. Yeah! That would be cool.” He recites his number, smiling the whole time as Noctis types it in.

“I’m sorry to cut this short, but he really will come back in and drag me out if I don’t leave. I had a lot of fun today. Let’s hang out soon, okay?” Prompto smiles and nods as Noctis walks out of the building. He doesn’t want his new friend to go, but there’s nothing he can do about it now. Through the window, he watches as the prince approaches a discreet black car with tinted windows. He flinches when he opens the door, frowning and settling into the back seat.

Prompto turns back to the table and as he finishes the rest of his meal, he can only imagine that Noctis is getting the talk of his life. His lips close around the straw and as he takes in a mouthful of malt he finds himself smiling wider than before. Noctis is a prince. But more than that Noctis wants to be his _friend_. The waitress takes the bills and returns with the change and Prompto tells her to keep it. She deserves whatever is left over after almost getting run over by that Gladio guy.

He gathers his things, leaves the diner, and heads for the bus stop. The sun is setting, casting a golden light across the sides of buildings and cars. The bus arrives right on time and as Prompto stares idly out the window his phone buzzes. It’s a number he doesn’t recognize, but he knows who it’s from. His heart flutters at the sight of the choppy messages.

_Hey_

_It’s Noctis_

_So_

_Are you free next Tuesday?_

**Author's Note:**

> Bonus points if you can name the games they play in the story.
> 
> They're my favorite arcade games and I just had to make these boys play them as well >.<


End file.
